A handful of foxes relocate to a Texas neighborhood

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (KFDX) --With area lakes and streams drying up and Wichita Falls inching closer to stage four water restrictions, this drought has had a major impact on residents.

Officials say people aren't the only ones suffering.

Hollandale is a usually quiet street about a block away from Champions Course at Weeks Park. That is, until a few weeks ago.

"A neighbor heard some noise in the backyard and they thought it was a coyote attacking a cat," said resident Anthony Perez.

Perez has a pet so he started his own investigation. He says he didn't find a coyote but he did find its close relation.

"It was a fox in the neighborhood area," he said.

He caught this one on camera and spotted at least two others running in and out of holes by a ditch a short distance from his home. Perez says his main concern is that one of these wild creatures will continue attacking pets in his neighborhood.

Perez said, "There's bird feathers all of the place, so they're obviously hunting. They're hungry. They're coming in left and right"

animal control officials say they're getting more and more calls about wild animals invading residential areas and say the drought is bringing animals in search of water into neighborhoods all over town.

Stephen Dodge, Wichita Falls Animal Control Supervisor said, "Foxes, coyotes, wild hogs, they're all going to keep coming in as long as this drought continues."

But catching a wild animal isn't easy. Animal control officers typically use traps or they might use nets. But even that doesn't work all the time.